Jay, New York

April 30, 2019

Happy Tuesday friends and happy last day of April! Anyone else feeling shocked about how fast this year seems to be going? I can't believe that we are going to be starting May tomorrow! I hope though that you are having a wonderful week!

Today I am so excited to share with y'all a bit more about the Jay Covered Bridge that I mentioned from my visit to Jay Falls a couple of weeks ago! You may remember that I mentioned that Jay Falls is one of the #ADK50falls challenge waterfalls and it was a beautiful place to discover! (You can read more about the falls HERE and all of the waterfalls that I have seen so far in the challenge HERE!)

Right above the Jay Falls is the Jay Covered Bridge which is an historical landmark. The wooden bridge crosses the Ausable River in Jay (spanning 175 feet) and was built in 1857 and then restored in 2006.

Located in Jay, New York the bridge is approximately 25 minutes from Lake Placid.

Now you may be wondering why a trip to see this bridge is so special. I was surprised to learn that starting in the early 1800s New York state was actually filled with lots of covered bridges throughout the state. I was surprised because it is typically the state of Vermont that we think of with the covered bridges, but New York had hundreds of them at one point in time.

But now the Jay Covered Bridge is the last one in the Adirondacks and its the longest one (of the 22 that are still standing) in the state. It's amazing to think of how much history has taken place here and that this is still here at this point in our History.

This bridge is a beautiful place to visit or have a picnic in the warmer weather (plus offers a beautiful view of the Jay Falls)! I can't recommend checking it out- such a small but beautiful piece of history located right in the Adirondack Park!

Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about the Jay Covered Bridge, the #adk50falls challenge or Jay Falls! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your own waterfall adventures! Have a wonderful day!

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#10000in7days

April 23, 2019

click HERE to go directly to the #10000in7days Make a Wish Page

A little bit more about the campaign...(from my Make-A-Wish Fundraising Page):

Welcome to the Caravan Sonnet Blog Fundraising #10000in7days Page! I am truly honored that you are here and are interested in helping us meet our goal of raising $10,000 to help grant wishes for children battling critical illnesses.

Some of you are coming to this page through our personal connection and your sweet support through my own health battle these last 7 years. As you know from watching and loving me through my health journey, wishes and gifts are truly a lifeline during a health crisis in one's life.

As a young adult, "wishes" and gifts that were given to me personally allowed me to travel during the most difficult days of my life. These personal gifts were a lifeline to me in the darkest days of my life. During the fight for my life I became an author and a travel blogger and found incredible strength in discovering the world outside of my "sick world". As I have begun to heal fully, I have been able to travel more for my job and this has continued to be a blessing...Yet, on each trip I look back with a special smile and fond memories to those dark days where wishes became a symbol of hope.

In the summer of 2018 I had the honor of taking a road trip throughout Alaska. I quickly fell in love with the wild and free beauty of "The Last Frontier" and the blog posts from that road trip have been pinned and shared thousands of times on social media, read by readers spanning 100+ countries, and re-shared in numerous outlets. I was so humbled that the vulnerability and candor that I shared in posts about this life-changing road trip experience along with practical tips and photography led thousands to not only plan their own trip to Alaska, but to also see travel as a time of personal growth and reflection. As I wove the personal stories of my time in Alaska, including triumphant moments of conquering hiking mountains after fighting for my health and life, of hope found among the symbolism of the fireweed flower, and other posts, I shared deeply from my heart as I started planning a return trip back for the summer of 2019.

I am thrilled that my sister and a dear friend will be joining me on our road trip this summer, and I can't wait to show them the beauty of the world that I had briefly encountered last year and to discover new places to love in Alaska.

And during the planning... I also started to dream about how we could make this a trip to have an impact beyond the typical "girls trip" and give back. It was then that the #10000in7days was born. Throughout the 7 days that we will be traveling to and in Alaska (between flights, road trip miles, hiking, and boats) we will cover more than 10,000 miles and my goal is to raise money to cover every single mile that will be traveled, for a total goal of $10,000 to be raised for Make a Wish Alaska and Washington for them to use to grant childrens wishes.

A wish for a child that comes true helps a child feel stronger, more energetic and more willing and able to battle their critical illnesses that they are bravely facing. If you know me than you know watching an adult struggle with health issues how critical these moments were in my personal life. Can you imagine how much more so they are to a child?!?

As you can see and read through the precious stories of those who have had wishes granted, this often marks a turning point in their fight against their illnesses. Doctors, nurses, and other health professional say, the wish experience works in concert with medicine and treatment to make their young patients feel better emotionally and even physically.

Many kiddos in Alaska and Washington are waiting for their wishes to come true- please help support our campaign by donating today and helping to make a difference in childrens lives!

Thank you so much for your support. Every single dollar that is raised helps get us closer to our fundraising goal. Thank you so much for helping us meet our goal!

Warmly, Rebecca

Thank you so much friends for helping to make this possible! Please feel free to share this with your friends and family and please consider donating. Even a dollar (covering 1 mile) will be of help as every single dollar helps us get closer to our goal and goes directly to helping a child see their wish come true! Thank you again for all of your help with this!

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PS- If you are a business and want to connect more with Caravan Sonnet about supporting this trip and helping to us to reach this goal and make this trip happen, please email us at: caravansonnet@gmail.com for more information! We look forward to working with you!

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December Caravan Re-Opening June 1st

April 22, 2019

Dear friends, If you have been around the December Caravan shop for the last 6 years then you may remember that I take a "creative retreat" away every year in the Spring as we prepare to move into the cabin for the summer. This year I decided to start that early and will be re-opening the shop on June 1st with lots of new goodies!

This time away is always a bittersweet treasure as I plan my upcoming year, decide on new bespoke journal patterns, and plan for the fall and Christmas holidays, but I definitely miss the shop community!

Thank you so much for your sweet support of my shop and all my artistic creations! The shop will re-open on Saturday, June 1st and I will share about the re-opening here on the blog!

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Happy Easter Weekend

April 19, 2019

Dearest Friends, as we celebrate this precious weekend of remembering Christ's extravagant work on the cross to save us, may you be blessed with the knowledge that Christ is risen, draw comfort in the truth that our sufferings are temporary, and rejoice in the miraculous hope of our risen Lord!

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Jay Falls // Jay, New York

April 17, 2019

Happy Wednesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week! Today I am so excited to share with y'all a bit more about the #ADK50falls challenge and specifically about Jay Falls, the waterfall I mentioned on Monday that I went to see this past weekend as the first falls in the challenge!

If you aren't familiar with the #ADK50falls challenge, you can read about the entire challenge HERE, but simply put there are 50 waterfalls that you hike and visit (5 require proof with photo that you were there) to complete the challenge. Participating in this is so fun and exciting and I am looking forward to doing this and the another challenge I will share more about in the next few weeks.

If you would like to know just basic facts about the falls please just scroll down to the bottom of the post where I will be sharing basic information to help those who want to know more specifics about each of the falls in the challenge.

Jay Falls is located in Jay, New York and is approximately 25 minutes from Lake Placid. The falls are broad falls and are easy to see from the parking spots (the pictures above were all taken from right outside my car).

Located right above Jay Falls is the Jay Covered Bridge which is the only covered bridge remaining in Essex County. It was built in 1857 and was rehabilitated in 2006. You can easily walk across it and see the falls from the windows or walk to the other side and see more views of the falls from the other side of the bridge.

The pictures above are from the left side of the bridge. Some of the pictures were taken from the parking spots on that side and then I also climbed down (about 3 feet) to be closer to the water to take a few more.

After walking back across the bridge to return to my car and parking area I decided to follow a little path down to get closer to the falls. The path down is about 15 feet down and it leads you to some huge rocks that you can sit on to be close to the falls and sit there.

I saw that there was a tiny path that continued on and decided to follow it up to the top of the falls. Along the way someone had placed some rocks to use as stepping stones to cross the stream that flows into the river. Aren't they so cute? *smiles*

I saw this in one of the rocks as I walked along and wondered what it was used for? Maybe to tie things up? It was pretty far away from the river so it made me definitely curious!

The top of the falls were simply gorgeous and I sat for a long time just listening to the water and appreciating the beauty around me. I can't recommend a visit to Jay Falls enough and hope that y'all will join in on this very fun challenge!

When I was extremely sick I used to grieve not being able to be outside in nature as much as I wanted to be and if this is where you are at due to health reasons I hope that the information I provide about each of the falls in this challenge will encourage you to explore as you are able.
..
......JAY FALLS INFORMATION......

LOCATION:

38 John Fountain Road, Jay, NY 12941 (approx. 50 minutes from Plattsburgh // 25 from Lake Placid)

TYPE OF FALLS:

20 foot falls (broad set)

KEY LANDMARKS:

Jay Covered Bridge (Built in 1857- rehabilitated in 2006) - only covered bridge remaining in Essex County

COST:

Free

PARKING:

Very small parking area. There were 3 parking spots on each side of the Jay Bridge (including 1 disability parking spot on each side).

CROWDED?:

No. I arrived at the falls around noon on a Saturday in April and only saw two other people while I was there. At one point I had the entire area to myself.

DISTANCE TO FALLS FROM PARKING AREA:

None. You can see the falls from the parking spots (on either side of the river). If you want to get closer to the falls you can walk down from the parking lot and explore a bit along the river.

DISABILITY FRIENDY?:

Yes. The parking includes space for those with tags, but the great thing is that you can enjoy these falls even if you can't get out of the car. You will be able to see a view of them from the parking area. If you are able to, you only have to walk approx. 50 feet to the bridge. There are also benches to sit on both sides of the river.

You can see a couple of videos of Jay Falls on my stories on Instagram (click the #adk50falls icon)!

Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about the challenge or Jay Falls! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your waterfall adventures! Have a wonderful day!

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What to Pack for an Alaskan Summer Road Trip

April 16, 2019

When I first decided to take the writing job about a road trip en I first decided to take the writing job about a road trip through Alaska in the summer of 2018 I was so excited that I didn't think much about some of the practical details that would come with this trip. It had always been a dream of mine to go to Alaska (I even wrote on the blog in the summer of 2017 about why you should dream about a trip to the Last Frontier) and to see it come to fruition had me giddy with anticipation.

As the trip approached though I started to think practically about what to pack for an Alaskan summer road trip. I have been so blessed to travel to so many different places but I also knew that packing for this trip would need to be different. I searched pinterest for ideas but struggled to find answers. There were hundreds of posts on what to pack for an Alaskan cruise, but not for a road trip. I spoke with anyone I could find that had taken a road trip, had lived in Alaska, or had visited at the time of year we were going and tried to develop a practical packing list.

The reality is that with a nickname like "The Last Frontier" you know that you are going to be in for the adventure of a lifetime. Alaska defines what it means to be "wild and free" and I knew that I wanted what I packed to be as practical and unencumbered as I imagined the trip would be. If you are heading on an Alaskan road trip and are wondering what to bring I hope that these ideas will be helpful for your adventure!

Luggage Items
As a bit of background, I shared on my instagram feed a few days before I left for the trip that I was determined to live fully in the adventure I was going on and didn't want to be loaded down with lots of luggage and clothing. Due to this and because I am a classic "over-packer" and because I am still in treatment and need to bring lots of items for this with me (even when I travel for work) this meant there was limited room and limited items to take and yet I made it my goal to only take a carry-on. But you know what friends? It was wonderful.

I traveled for 10 days (across the country to California where it was incredibly hot to Alaska where the temps varied back to California before heading home to New York) and had one carry-on suitcase and my purse. It was awesome. No more dreading how far the room is because I am trying to carry tons of bags, no more waiting for luggage at the carousal or worrying it may get lost in the travels, no more extra items that I didn't really need, and no more struggles of loading and unloading a huge suitcase.

Delsey Luggage Chatelet- 21 Inch Carry On (Champagne)
I have had many carry-on suitcases over the years but can't recommend this one, by Delsey, enough. I had seen several bloggers that I follow recommend this luggage and was a bit shell-shocked at the price. Over this past year I tried several other cheaper carry-on luggage options and was disappointed with each of them for various reasons. Finally, I found this carry-on on sale on Amazon and purchased it.

Friends, save your money on the cheaper options and purchase this carry-on when it goes on sale. It is worth every. single. penny. This is a carry-on that I plan to have for years and I have been so impressed with the quality of it, the durability, and the way it cleans up so easily and looks brand new even though it is white. It holds tons of items and you will be amazed at all you are able to pack in it. (Again, I traveled for 10 days and everything I am recommending traveled with me!) If you are interested in the suitcase you can find it on Amazon HERE.

BCBGMAXAZRIA Handbag (similar HERE and HERE)
Those of you who know me know that I have a little love affair with purses. *smiles* I have had many over the years, and love large purses- especially for traveling. For this trip I was specifically looking for a purse that I felt would "fit" the climate and the elements and that would be a neutral based color to easily match the clothes I was wearing. I also wanted a purse that was leather that could transition easily into fall. I saw the purse above and immediately fell in love with the color tone and the size of it. While it is no longer available (you could definitely try Poshmark or Ebay if you want the exact purse) these: HERE and HERE are similar in idea and size!

Sturdy Purse Organizer
I first read about this organizer on Caitlin's blog (and loved this picture of hers) but was a bit skeptical of how well it would work. I was also getting tired of needing to search my purse for items and feeling desperate to organize my purse- not just for the trip but in general. hahaha! This honestly has been something that I have started talking about non-stop and telling everyone about. Just the other day I was telling two friends that they needed to get one! It is life-changing! Hahaha!

This felt organizer (I chose the beige color so that it will go with any of my purses!) comes in 11 different colors and is less than $20 on Amazon (you can find it HERE). I love that I can easily switch purses now just by taking this out and changing it from one purse to another. SO simple and easy! Even if you don't travel a lot you will love it for daily life (for size reference I chose a medium)! For traveling mine was loaded up with tons of items and it was the easiest trip in the airports because of how organized it kept things in my purse! I honestly plan to do a whole post on this because it is so wonderful! Thanks so much Caitlin for the suggestion! If you are interested in it you can find it HERE!

Tech Items
Here are all of the technology items that I brought along for the trip!

Camera
I used my phone for pictures alone with my camera. I have the Canon EOS Rebel T5i and absolutely love it. I purchased it a couple of years ago in 2016 and am always amazed by the quality of the photos it takes. I love this SD card HERE (it's less than $20)

Some additional suggestions...
Portable Battery Pack

Shoes
I debated and debated about what type of shoes to bring along on my trip and finally settled on my hiking shoes, brown boots, and one pair of sandals. Honestly if I had to do it again I wouldn't bring my brown boots because I lived in my hiking shoes and sandals the entire trip!

Merrell Women's Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot
I can't say enough about these hiking boots (pictured above) and plan to do an entire post about them in the future. They are absolutely phenomenal and the best pair of hiking shoes I have ever owned. They are completely waterproof (I even walked in water that was about 2 inches deep one day for quite a while and my feet stayed dry), they are incredibly comfortable and give great support... and need absolutely NO breaking in! I will be honest- I purchased this new pair right before my trip and didn't wear them once before the trip. The first day of wearing them I wore them for 12 hours and walked about 5 miles. No blisters, no discomfort... just the perfect shoes. I lived in them in Alaska and love them! If you are looking for a new pair of hiking shoes for the fall you will want to get these! (You can find them HERE!)

Teeks Sandals (Cocobutter)
I have fallen in love with these sandals this summer and love the simplicity and yet the "put together" look of these leather sandals. They are so incredibly comfortable and you can find them HERE! ALSO- I found a pair of sandals with an almost exact look of these from Torrid and have worn them a ton this summer. They are a fraction of the price (on sale right now on the Torrid website) and are incredibly comfortable! They also come in black!

Some additional suggestions that I considered...
*THIS pair of TOMS shoes- many people have said that they love traveling with them, but I just didn't feel that they were necessary for this trip. This could be an excellent substitute for those who don't want to take sandals.
*Hunter Rain Boots - I really wanted to take along a pair of rain boots for the weather or for walking in rain, but couldn't fit them in and found that the Merrell Women's Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot worked just fine. If you aren't planning on hiking a lot or wanting the hiking boots this might be a great solution.
*a pair of running shoes/sneakers- I debated about this a lot but if you know me than you know I love sandals and ultimately chose to just go with my sandals and Hiking Boots and personally was glad I did. If you don't love sandals than I would definitely recommend a pair of running shoes/sneakers.

Clothing
Because I was working to get everything into one carry-on I made a list of everything I wanted to bring a couple of weeks before the trip and then the week before narrowed it down more. Then a few days before I flew out I narrowed it down again... and again. I was afraid I wouldn't have enough clothes but it honestly worked out to be the perfect amount of clothes for the trip! Remember- this is for a summer Alaskan Road Trip so depending on when you go in the summer your items may vary. I was there from the end of July to the beginning of August. Here is what I packed:

*1 pair of jeans/jeggings (dark navy)
*1 pair of hiking/cargo pants (olive green) (similar HERE or HERE or HERE)
*1 pair of leggings (black) (from ASOS)
*1 pair of shorts (mustard yellow) (older from LOFT)
*1 skirt (black) (older from JCREW)
*1 dress ( white and black) (older from JCREW)
*6 tops (1- blue & white striped, 1- plain white, 1-chambray, 1- mauve, 1- light blue, 1- cream floral/lace)
*3 undershirts
*1- cargo hiking jacket (grey) (similar HERE)
*1 blanket scarf (muted turquoise/green color)
*1 Fringe/Wool Scarf (grey)
*1 winter jacket (black)
*1 headband (navy and cream)
*3- pairs of socks for hiking boots/1- pair compression socks for travel
*1-hat
*1- pair of gloves
*PJ's
*shoes mentioned previously

Honestly - I was surprised at how it all worked so well and so easy. I had plenty of clothes to wear that were clean by mixing and matching items and I hand-washed a few personal items along the way. In addition to this because all of the clothes were "color-coded" it allowed me to easily mix and match items and make things work easily. I felt like I ended up creating a "travel capsule wardrobe" for this trip and it was definitely a lesson for future trips to do this again!

**one important side note: for my upcoming trip in 2019: I plan to not take the dress or the shorts (both of those things were for my time in California) and I instead plan to take additional hiking clothing**

a few extra items...
*eye mask for sleeping - with the summer hours lasting most of the night you may find this helpful!
*THIS straightening iron - y'all may remember that I talked about how much I love this specific iron on the blog back in the winter (you can read about it HERE) and it is easy to travel with as it is so lightweight!
* hiking backpack
*travel notebook/journal - y'all know how much I love journaling and preserving memories so this is a definite for me! I can't wait to share with y'all the final journal from this trip!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope that this packing list helps you if you are planning an Alaskan Summer Road Trip! Let me know if you have any questions! I would be happy to answer them!

PS- Want to step forward and plan your trip but not sure how? Check out all of the Alaska Road Trip posts from our trip in 2018 which you can find them in the Alaska travel section on my blog by clicking HERE or you can click on the specific links below:

Anchorage: // Anchorage Travel Guide//

Chugach Mountains (Alaska 1-South Drive):

// Scenic Seward Highway Drive (Turnagain Arm Drive)//

// Along the Matanuska River on Alaska 1- South// A Beautiful Lake Adventure near Chickaloon//

// A Cloudy and Beautiful Drive on Alaska 1-South to Anchorage//

Chugach Mountains: // Eklutna Lake//

Cooper Landing (Kenai Peninsula): // Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge Nature Trail//

// Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge//

Denali Area: // Denali Highway Video// One Last Adventure on the Denali Highway//

// Denali Highway - Part 2// Denali Highway - Part 1 // The Drive to Cantwell//

// Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge //

General Alaska: